Can Black Licorice Cause Death? Poisoning, Dosage, and More

Experiences of individuals dying from consuming an excessive amount of black licorice are few and much between, however they do exist.

A number of case stories present that each day black licorice consumption results in a situation known as pseudohyperaldosteronism, which might be deadly if untreated.

The newest report — printed on Sept. 23, 2020 — concerned a 54-year-old man who had been in a fast-food restaurant when he all of a sudden misplaced consciousness (1).

Emergency medical personnel arrived on the restaurant and recognized that the person was experiencing ventricular fibrillation, a critical kind of irregular heartbeat.

The person was rushed to the hospital however died 32 hours later after experiencing electrolyte imbalances and multiorgan failure.

The physician concluded the affected person died of pseudohyperaldosteronism, a medical situation whereby your physique mimics the consequences of elevated aldosterone with hypertension. This means that extra black licorice consumption had triggered ventricular fibrillation.

Pseudohyperaldosteronism is a situation characterised by hypertension, low potassium blood ranges, a disturbance in your physique’s blood acid-base stability, and low ranges of renin, an enzyme that regulates blood strain (2).

A dialogue with the person’s household revealed that 3 weeks prior, he had switched from snacking on fruit-flavored comfortable sweet to black licorice. He was additionally consuming 1–2 massive packages per day.

An earlier case report from 2008 mentioned the same incident through which a 55-year-old lady arrived at a clinic with low potassium ranges and hypertension. She proved unresponsive to blood pressure-lowering drugs (3).

She reported consuming 1–2 packages of black licorice each day for 4 years after she stopped smoking.

After additional medical workup, the physician identified her with pseudohyperaldosteronism associated to extreme black licorice consumption.

She was instructed to remove licorice from her weight loss plan and eat a potassium-rich weight loss plan and take potassium dietary supplements to deal with her low potassium ranges.

She adopted the physician’s orders and a number of other months later, her blood strain was managed and her lab outcomes — together with potassium — have been all inside regular limits.

Abstract

A number of case stories have linked extreme each day black licorice consumption to a situation known as pseudohyperaldosteronism, which might be lethal.

Licorice incorporates a compound known as glycyrrhizic acid. This acid offers licorice sweet its sweetness.

Glycyrrhizic acid is reported to be 50 instances sweeter than sucrose, or desk sugar (3).

Your physique converts glycyrrhizic acid to glycyrrhetinic acid, which medical specialists agree is comparatively innocent in small quantities (1).

However in massive quantities, glycyrrhetinic acid and its digestive by-products inhibit an enzyme that helps your physique from changing lively cortisol into inactive cortisone (4).

This leads extra cortisol to bind to its receptor and exert its results within the physique that result in pseudohyperaldosteronism.

Usually, eliminating licorice out of your weight loss plan can resolve pseudohyperaldosteronism inside a number of weeks or months. Nonetheless, high blood pressure could typically persist on account of different causes (4).

Abstract

Licorice incorporates glycyrrhizic acid, which your physique converts to glycyrrhetinic acid. In massive quantities, this acid inhibits an enzyme that finally could result in pseudohyperaldosteronism, a doubtlessly deadly situation.

Licorice root has been utilized in conventional drugs for hundreds of years to deal with coughs, bronchial asthma, abdomen ache, insomnia, and infections (5).

Certainly, licorice incorporates numerous helpful plant compounds that comprise anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties (6).

Nonetheless, regardless of its lengthy — and presumably secure — historical past of use, scientific organizations have urged warning towards consuming an excessive amount of licorice on account of its means to extend blood strain and trigger electrolyte imbalances (7).

The World Well being Group (WHO) means that an consumption of as much as 100 mg per day of glycyrrhizic acid is secure for almost all of adults (8).

This quantity equates to about 2–2.5 ounces (60–70 grams) of licorice.

Nonetheless, it’s troublesome to offer a secure suggestion for black licorice sweet consumption as a result of the glycyrrhizic acid content material can differ by as a lot as 30-fold from one product to the following (3).

The Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) means that if you happen to’re age 40 or older, consuming 2 ounces (57 grams) of licorice per day for no less than 2 weeks could trigger an irregular coronary heart rhythm that will require hospitalization (9).

Remember the fact that many natural teas and dietary dietary supplements comprise licorice root extract.

To be clear, pink licorice — regardless of its title — doesn’t comprise licorice root extract, so it doesn’t present glycyrrhizin.

Merchandise that comprise licorice have to be labeled. Producers checklist licorice extract or glycyrrhizic acid within the ingredient checklist.

Abstract

In response to the WHO, as much as 100 mg per day of glycyrrhizic acid, equal to about 2–2.5 ounces (60–70 grams) of licorice, is secure for almost all of adults.

If in case you have a situation that adversely impacts your coronary heart or kidneys, be particularly cautious with how a lot black licorice you eat — and the frequency with which you devour it.

Licorice has an extended half-life, that means that it stays in your physique for a very long time earlier than you remove it (10).

This enables glycyrrhetinic acid to build up in your physique the extra continuously you eat licorice. This constant buildup will increase your threat of pseudohyperaldosteronism.

If in case you have a preexisting situation that impacts your coronary heart or kidneys, pseudohyperaldosteronism could also be lethal.

Abstract

If in case you have a preexisting coronary heart or kidney situation, be additional cautious with the quantity and frequency of licorice that you just devour.

Black licorice and different sources of licorice comprise glycyrrhetinic acid. In massive quantities, this acid inhibits an enzyme that permits extra lively cortisol to bind to its receptor.

So, consuming an excessive amount of licorice — or too continuously — may end up in hypertension, low potassium levels, and different indicators of pseudohyperaldosteronism. This may be lethal, particularly in folks with preexisting coronary heart or kidney circumstances.

The WHO suggests that the majority wholesome adults can safely eat as much as 100 mg per day of glycyrrhizic acid, or about 2–2.5 ounces (60–70 grams) of licorice.